


Gender and The Mighty Boosh

by Emmzzi



Category: The Mighty Boosh (TV)
Genre: Essays, Gender Related, Non Fiction, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-11
Updated: 2013-05-11
Packaged: 2017-12-11 13:39:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 9
Words: 4,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/799348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emmzzi/pseuds/Emmzzi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An examination of the role of gender in The Mighty Boosh<br/>Non fiction</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Background

This review covers the 3 TV series of “The Mighty Boosh”, excluding radio , books, live performances, and DVD extras such as commentary.

“The Mighty Boosh” sits between surrealist and situational comedy; the show focuses primarily on the relationship between Howard Moon,  a man frustrated by lack of recognition for his self described seemingly varied but utterly questionable talents; and Vince Noir, a younger man obsessed by fashion, trend and having a good time. Howard is sometimes referred to as “a jazzy freak” while Vince is “made of sunshine.”

Season one is set in a zoo where both work as keepers; season 2 is a series of expeditions to invented landscapes for far fetched adventures; and season 3 sees them return to a more traditional static venue, this time running a shop above which they share a flat with the shop’s owner, the shaman Naboo (who previously ran the zoo first aid point), and his talking gorilla companion, Bollo (who was previously owned by the zoo).

The majority of characters in the show are played by the 5 male leads – Noel Fielding, Julian Barratt, Rich Fulcher, Michael Fielding and Dave Brown. This includes some female and/or transsexual/transgender roles – it is not always clear what the gender intention is, nor is it necessary to know. 

A small number of additional roles are played by women.

I could find no formal research on the fan demographic of The Mighty Boosh. Kim Manning, programming director at Adult Swim, felt

“The Mighty Boosh” was “just unusual and unique” enough to attract the young men Adult Swim covets, as well as viewers who think like them. “It’s more about a mindset than an age,” she said. “It’s more about the psychographics than the demographics.” (1)

One might hazard a guess at female fans of Mr Fielding - stage show videos would suggest this is a significant part of the fan base - in addition to the young men mentioned above. The show also promotes a drug culture with reference to hash browns, skinning up and peyote.

As a women with an interest in gender studies I am primarily interested in what the show demonstrates in its treatment of women, who are also likely to form a large part of the fan base.


	2. Woman as Love Object

Season one sees Howard obsessing over a co-worker, “Mrs Gideon.” Her actual marital status is never clarified. Her lack of contact (and inability to remember Howard’s name) leads Vince, on multiple occasions, to reassure his friend that Howard is attractive to Gideon, making potential excuses for her non appearance – “Maybe she got trapped in a cabinet.”

Gideon has little distinct personality of her own; rather she serves as an object through which we learn of Howard’s adolescent pining and lack of maturity in relationships. She is one of two females referred to as a woman and not a girl. We know little of her except her job (snake keeper); that she likes bookmarks and trumpets, and literature.

Women generally serve as a plot point – in order to “win” the affection of a woman, Howard and/or Vince undertake a “challenge” which the women have explicitly stated will be of value to them; or that Vince and Howard assume will bring the reward of affection (without checking.) Examples are fighting a kangaroo (for Mrs Gideon, see below, who then states that she does not like violence), raising spirits from the dead to endear themselves to “goth girls” and fronting an 80s band to attract “electro girls”.

In the first episode, “Killeroo”, Howard recites painfully adolescent poetry he has written, inspired by Gideon, focussing entirely on her physical appearance – despite later claiming to be attracted to her fine mind and fantasising about going to poetry readings with her. (“We’ll both have pipes, we’ll be wrestling with the heavy intellectual issues of the day into the small hours.”) 

By contrast Vince prefers “thick girls” who like soft fabrics and bright colours - recognising them as his own equals. 

Howard is also shown to have stalked Gideon, sitting in her garden with binoculars; and later disguises a telescope as a submarine sandwich in order to spy on her from afar.

Despite the binoculars incident being “in all the papers” Gideon has not taken out a restraining order. The implication is that Howard is so insignificant, she cannot remember his name, and may therefore not remember the incident.

It is difficult not to take a freudian reading of Mrs Gideons search for her lost python, and Bainbridge’s wish to merge the relationship-inept Howard with the snake’s body in an experiment.

Despite having had limited conversation Howard is territorial of Mrs Gideon, threatening Vince not to go near her or he will “come at [you] like a mighty bazooka,” further emphasising his belief that women can be “won” or possessed. This never in fact happens, and Howard fails to have more than a passing conversation with any female except the ambiguous character “Eleanor” through the duration of the series.

In later episodes Vince refers to her as “Gideon” dropping the “Mrs.” Subverting the common genders of names is a recurring theme. 

The “love interest” ends when Howard punches Gideon in a fit of rage following her minor criticism of his creative writing; she then “gets off” with “Vinces” panda (in what we may assume is a lesbian interspecies relationship) and thereafter she is never mentioned again.

Howard and Vince also attempt to “double date” - sometimes with actual females, and sometimes with carved coconuts representing females.

These attempts involve painful “chat up” sequences which highlights Howard inability to take account of what women actually find attractive (eg, without a word of prior conversation he attempts to impress the “electro girls” Neon and Ultra with his porpoise jockey role “which can be quite a thrilling sight for a young lady to see.”) 

Vince conversely makes instant connections with people via shared interests in hair. 

While the electro girls are capable of violent intent and behaviour (threatening to “stab you up” if they don’t get a new keyboard player and later carrying out that threat) they also defer to keyboard player “Johnny TwoHats” in an extremely submissive manner. Johnny is clearly the “alpha male”, in charge of song writing and most of the core band activities. 

Howard is persuaded to play keyboards (which he has been resolutely avoiding) by Vince saying “What about the girls? I think they’re into you. They said you’re an eccentric character.” The personalities of the girls are irrelevant – “There’s two of them, two of us.”

Of note is that the 2 actors who play “goth girls” are the same actors who play “electro girls”; the similarity between the two sets of characters is not commented on, further demonstrating that the women in and of themselves are of no importance; they are merely a plot point to create a challenge to be overcome in the heroes’ journey.

On one occasion, Howard is persuaded to cancel his annual plans and let a friend down at the hint of spending time with “a couple of goth girls, pretty sexy.” Howard dresses comically against type, and he and Vince end up summoning the spirit of an evil grandmother in an attempt to impress. Howard also demonstrate how dark he is by telling stories of things he has shit upon (graves, swans, Hitler.) Eventually the “girls” end up dating Naboo and Bollo (presented as “cooller” characters throughout) who have taken to dressing as goths to attract them. 

The culmination of this theme, where the personalities of the females are entirely subservient to the plot, is in 2:06, The Nightmare of Milky Joe, where Vince and Howard fight over a coconut Vince has made to represent a woman. The coconuts do not speak or move unaided. (Although note Howard’s confused psyche still manages to put him in a domestically abusive situation at the hands of his coconut; and Vince still hankers for the “coconut threeway.”)

By 3:05 “Party” Howard has worked out Vince’s promises of “girls” never come to fruition and rejects this as a premise for throwing a party. However when an actual woman comes into the shop and has a conversation with him, he invites her to the party he is now instantly having. On this occasion Howard sees her looking at records and uses this as the basis of instigating a conversation, and builds on her interest in parties; a considerable improvement on his season one approach. It is later revealed that Vince put her up to the conversation; but she does seem to have an interest in Howard, later seeking him out. Notably this woman is not given a name, although there is some maturation of the approach to forming relationships.

There is a consistent Bechdel fail all round. There are no conversations about men between women, as there are never women talking to each other without a man on the set; and women are in universally minor roles.


	3. Boys who play girls and boys who like boys

Vince is often mistaken for a female, most commonly Howard’s “wife” or “ugly wife.” Refreshingly, this assertion is never challenged by either Howard or Vince, or played for “big laughs”; rather it is an endearing quirk of the show. 

Hitcher calls Vince both “young lady” and “boy” while Howard is “squire.” For example Ramsay the fisherman in 2:05 “Old Gregg” says to Howard, referring to Vince, that if he hires a boat to go out on black lake “you and your lady friend can have a special time together.” (Although once Vince has returned triumphant from fishing he is treated as male by the fisherman with them even offering him a beard). The Crack Fox calls Vince “Lady Man.”

Vince sees little boundaries between male and female clothing. Howard is more obvious when he dresses as a female - an old lady in an unstylish floral dress in 2:03 “Nanageddon” with moustache intact. Saboo the shamen also dresses as an old woman in this episode. Note Vince will also on occasion cross dress from preference eg “World War Two transsexual” or “Joan Jet jumpsuit”.

One woman who finds Howard attractive (in 2:04 Fountain of Youth) is revealed to be the male character “Hitcher” in disguise, conniving to get Howard to give him a mystic amulet - which Howard does.

In 3:01 “Eels” we meet Eleanor, played by Rich Fulcher. Eleanor has a deceased husband. It would seem we are to take Eleanor at face value as a female, although she has come in response to the “advert” (“Howard Moon licks balls for money” is graffitied on the shutters of the shop) yet refers to herself as “a woman in the prime of her life.” Desperate for cash, Howard arranges an assignation during which Vince is meant to intervene and carry out a mugging; however he becomes distracted. Eleanor is attracted to Howard’s “ball fondling skills” but conversely refers to herself as “Momma.” Later Howard appears covered in lipstick and shell shocked, and says “You don't know what she made me do.” Eleanor later turns up to save Howard from the Hitcher, who says “Who’s this, your wife? Looks like a geezer in a dress to me.” It is to the show’s credit that transgender is not an issue for Howard; only the acts he was made to perform for money.

When a miniaturised Howard is travelling within Vince’s body in 3:02 “Journey to the Centre of the Punk” he meets Vince’s (single) brain cell. The cell’s secretary is a female version of Vince, played by Fielding (in a traditionally female job role.) Later, Vince’s brain cell says to Howard “I do swing both ways but I’m not really feeling it with you.”

This theme continues in the episode 3:05 “Party” during a conversation which starts with Howard saying “If I don’t get some action soon I’m going gay,” Vince refers to himself as “the Confuser” - Is it a man? Is it a woman? Not sure if I mind.” He may be referring to appearance, orientation, behaviour, attitude, or indeed all of these. 

This scene has the potential to have massive orientation fail, but is saved by Vince’s explanation - “You can’t just go gay like that - it’s not like buying a ladder.” This is somewhat subverted later when Vince and Howard kiss, Howard feels he has fallen in love (it is revealed to be his first kiss) and shouts from (literally) the rooftops “I’m a massive gayist!” in joyous celebration. Later there is a minor fight between Howard and Vince when Howard moves on to the woman he met earlier who convinced him to have the party - “We’re having some relationship problems, nick off and get some twiglets” and “I’ll never love again!” (Vince however also rapidly moves on at the appearance of an unnamed woman who seems to share his taste in soft fabrics and bright colours.)  
We can fairly safely derive that gender and sexual orientation barriers and boundaries are more accepting and fluid in the world of Boosh than our own society. I welcome this liberal approach.


	4. Gender transitioned names

In the mirror universe (literally a room full of mirrors) the caretaker is “Mr Susan” - essentially a cleaner; male as he has “mirror balls” , he performs a traditionally female cleaning role. Also a pain in the arse.

The male courier who delivers the Global explorer asks for a signed copy for his wife. "Make it out to Alan."

The head shaman’s wife is called Methuselah, a name most commonly associated with the oldest man in the world.  
As previously noted, Mrs Gideon is sometimes referred to as “Gideon.”

These instances serve to underline the relative unimportance of gender in and of itself.


	5. Other women

There are few other obvious cis-women in the show, and all in minor supporting roles. 

One female zoo assistant, who has one line in 1:02 and appears in other group zookeeper scenes.

An old lady who donates to the zoo, who has no speaking lines but is thought to be stupid as she cannot tell the difference between a gorilla and Howard in a gorilla suit (in fairness, neither can the character Death)

The never seen “Paulines” - all incarnations of death are called Colin, and all ask “How’s your Pauline” (assumed to be the wife of death).

Diane at the shaman's council, a green skinned woman who seldom speaks except to agree with the others (“He must be punished.”) 

Jackie in episode 1:06 is a fan who requests an autograph from Vince.

In 2:02 “The Priest and the Beast” a woman has a conversation with the dream sequence character “Spider” in which it is revealed he has eight penises (later confirmed in a urination scene), and she takes him back to her town populated entirely by women. Spider would appear to be a representation of the most sexual aspects of Vince (which we never see fulfilled in a physical sense). It would seem that “spider loving” is an unfulfilled Vince fantasy, similar to his wish for a “coconut threeway” and the “goth threeway.” Note however there is no evidence of Vince having an intimate relationship with any woman, let alone multiples.

In the same episode 2:02 we meet Monkey the townswoman, who has possibly the biggest female speaking part in the series. Again this is in dream sequence.

In 2:03 “Nana” is a summoned demon who threatens to start “Nanageddon.” She hides in plain sight in a bingo hall, and suffocates people with long stretches of fabric she knits at a furious rate before stabbing them with knitting needles. She has no meaningful lines.

In 2:05 the fisherman Ramsay has a wife - she serves as a one shot visual gag as she is covered in shells, like the rest of his artwork.

In 3:01 “Eels” the Hitcher again appears as a woman, a musical box ballerina called Elsie, who lures Howard into a box. Elsie does not speak.

In 3:04 The Crack Fox Vince has a party. The female he is “chatting up” is used as a conduit by Naboo the Shaman to communicate with him. (Note he again fails to connect romatically with this woman.)

In 3:05 “Party” Vince refers to friends he has invited to the party some of whom are female - Vector the photographer and Mama Zoom - “You know Mama Zoom. She was here last Thursday - the one eating toast.” The DJ at the party is also female, although she is ousted from this role by Saboo and Tony Harrison with the put down “No one’s feeling it, you're not in your bedroom now.”

In the same episode we meet the the head shaman's wife, who is referred to an “An Extreme Sports Calendar Model”. She is assertive, attractive, sexually liberated, and fed up of his philandering ways; possibly the strongest woman in the series. She also has a name, unlike other random “girls”, Methusela. 

Females are often in the audience at concert and other events (crimp off). This is not especially noteworthy.

The sole character who refers to “women” not “girls” Is Lester Corncrack. He has given Howard a “man corset” and says “What did I tell you Howard, women love men with knockers.” His sweeping generalisation about “what women like” means he sadly cannot be held up as the lone bastion of feminism.

There is also reference to the embodiment of “Lady Luck” - Howard believes her to be classy and does her shopping at M&D. Vince counters that no one does their main shop at M&S she gets her “bits” there.

It should be noted that the animals which speak are male - the Crack Fox, Bollo, a polar bear Vince befriends/ romances, the fox Howard is “too close” to, the wolf who reads “Mod” magazine. Similarly the anthropomorphic coconuts who speak are also all male; the females are silent.

Female animals such as panda are never heard.

We can conclude that women are consigned to unimportant roles, and rarely have real function in the show. Ignorance about women is usually something we the audience laugh at, rather than rejoice in; the central characters inability to connect with women is a recurring theme, something they cluelessly strive to improve upon, and yet will never succeed while in their male dominated spaces.


	6. Sex

In The Mighty Boosh, men are the more sexualised beings, but in a non traditional way. Howard is accused of being Bob Fossil (the zoo owner’s) “bitch” and dancing for coins wearing only his pants. Fossil is often to be found rubbing his own nipples in an ecstatic manner. Fossil also has (unexplained) nude pictures of Howard which he uses as blackmail tool. This may or may not be related to the dancing incident.

Vince and Howard also form closer sexual relationships with animals than women. Howard is alleged to have “bummed” a fox, and Vince romances a panda. (Note that “bumming” seems to be generally acceptable; unacceptable sexual acts are more commonly referred to as “rape”.)

Given animals are usually accorded the same status as humans, it is heartening that Vince is concerned about the emotional well being of his panda friend and does not wish her to be left to be ravaged by the male panda; although his comment “I put all the groundwork is” is less chivalrous.

Naboo seems to share a bedroom with Bollo - although Naboo is later shown to have no (or non traditional?) genetalia and implies to the head shaman that he has no sex drive because of this.

“Traditional” sexual relationships are notable by their absence, despite being much pursued.


	7. Gender related insults and sex workers

According to linguist Deborah Tannen, "Bitch is the most contemptible thing you can say about a woman. Save perhaps the four-letter C word." (2) 

Gender based insults are used frequently but not constantly in The Mighty Boosh. 

When advised by Vince to “play it cool” with Gideon, Howard calls her “a bitch.” On being cautioned “not that cool!” he adjusts to “Nice bitch.” Similarly the “electro girls” call Vince a “bitch”

Insults are often genetalia specific, the most common being “ballbag” as well as “he sounds like a dick”. Kodiak Jack refers to Howard as “Mr Cityballs.”

“Ponce”, a slang derogatory term for “gay”, or an effeminate man, is also used eg “Electroponce” - Howard to Vince; ”Rock Ponce” - Neon to Vince.

“I’m going to cut you slags up” - the Hitcher to Howard and Vince.

When Howard is introduced at a boxing match, he is described as a “former male prostitute", and it is clear that this is intended to be an insult. Although note Vince is later flattered by being described as dressing “like a futuristic prostitute.” So while Vince is at ease with the concept of sex workers, Howard is less comfortable (although in reality it is Howard who has accepted money for sex acts)

Season 3 opens with Howard and Vince now running Naboo’s shop. Graffiti is on the shutters “Howard moon licks balls for money.” Later in the episode this changes to “Howard Moon will bum you silly for loose change.” It is later revealed that Vince has been writing the graffiti specifically because he knows it will annoy Howard.

It is disappointing that the choice of insults is so traditionally gender based when so many other aspects of gender are treated in a more liberal manner.


	8. Rape and sexual violence

Rape is seldom referred to, but where it is, is used to demonstrate power and evil. “Rape” is sometimes (but not always) differentiated from “bumming” which appears to be a pleasurable if unusual and hence noteworthy act. 

Rape is committed by classically “evil” characters with no redeeming features - the Hitcher on his first meeting with the guys says only that he is going to “cut you up” but in “Eels” tells Howard “If you weren’t a geezer I’d be raping you right now behind the counter.” The Hitcher is also obsessed with people being violated by eels.

In 2:01 “Call of the Yeti” Kodiak Jack asks “you ever been rohypnolled by a swan” probably alluding to the urban myth that swans are the only animals that rape their partners. Later he asks if Howard and Vince are on their honeymoon (bearing in mind that Civil Partnership in th UK was legalised in 2004, several years after the show aired) which may imply that if Vince were “taken” he would be left alone.

Howard agrees to leave Vince alone with a dangerous predatory man in exchange for the location of the yeti, which he wished to photograph.

Kodiak Jack present Vince with flowers, and attempts to "bum" him but Vince protects himself with hot hair straighteners (Vince; "I've narrowly avoided a bumming by Grizzly Adams"). Shortly afterwards however Jack saves Howard from "breeding" with the yetis and is himself a victim of sexual assault (although seems to enjoy it.)

in 2.05 “Old Gregg” Howard is imprisoned by a merman who describes himself as having a “downstairs mixup” and a “mangina.” He abducts an unconscious Howard and pressures him into becoming engaged. (Gregg also has the same dance move as the electro girls.) Notably Howard wears the engagement ring which would traditionally make him the “woman” in the relationship, although Gregg wears a wedding dress. It appears that Howard has escaped sexual assault.

In 3:04 The Crack Fox, a tramp (who refers to Vince as “sweetheart”) says to Vince (on the donation of a cape) “I was going to rape you and leave you in this bin, but now I amnae.”

In 3:05 the severed head of Lester Corncrack is raped by Tony Harrison, himself a creature shaped like a head, crying out “I don't like it!”

Rape and sexual abuse is portrayed as a deeply unpleasant act with no attempt to glamourise it. It is not an all pervading theme, but recurs frequently as a somewhat lazy shorthand for “evil person.”


	9. Conclusion

The Mighty Boosh is clearly not a show about women, but nor is it clearly targeted at “lad culture” in the way one might expect from a show that uses women primarily as plot point. No skimpy outfits, no women in bed, in fact no women in any on screen sexual acts whatsoever. (Offscreen - one spider orgy and a panda).

Its relaxed, understated rejection of boundaries between genders and sexual orientations, with pure acceptance and no fuss, is refreshing and joyful. 

There are also no universal standards; they vary with the character perspective. Howard’s shameful sex work is Vince’s ok employment.

However, women are undoubtedly “other”, and the pedestal treatment grows tiring. Feminist? No. Funny? Yes. Offensive... if you look hard enough, a little.  
Should the RSPCA intervene..? Now that’s another question.

**Author's Note:**

> (1) New York Times 27/7/2009 Comic Cult Strives to Export Itself accessed 11/5/2013 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/25/arts/television/25boosh.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1368288416-t+sp6Axc3FfezjHy7yxc6Q
> 
>  
> 
> (2) Carlson, Margaret (1/16/95). "Muzzle the B word". Time 145 (2): p 36 (2/3 p). ISSN 0040-781X. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost AN 9501107624 (accessed October 1, 2009).


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